Quick breaking union for pipe ends



J. PRATA QUICK BREAKING UNION FOR PIPE ENDS July 8, 1947 Filed June 7, ,1945

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Jae Praia,

INVENTOR A T TORNE Y qmoxaasaxmonmouroa rnr: suns I inventionrelatestoaquickbreaking union 7 for pipe ends.

- An object of ,the'inventioniisto provide animproved arrangement ,of mterenga'ging tubular elastic sealing elements positioned between'thev pipe ends, in combination with means for .draw- 1 ing thepipe ends-toward each otherqin such a manner as to efli ciently apply; acompressive pressure to said sealing elements toaugmentztheir sealing function;

-,Another object Vis to provide, 'in combination with two-Pipe end members to be coupledtogether,

a more quickly opera-blemeans both for separating two connectedpipe end sections andfor reuniting them an efficient fluid tight mannen Yet another objectnlis to provide animproved swingable, -resilient.;yoke ,pivotedto one r the pipe end members and having springy arms to straddle the other pipe end member and abut against'a' portion thereof infsuch a;iman ner as to fits with an adjustive fit inside of the cup-shaped threaded for screwinginto the aforesaid end flange. H

An open-ended. elastic, tubularfemale sealing member [5 has one end slidably fltted within the thickened wall portion-of the head 9, and has an xterior flange l6 around its opposite end which member l2, thereby forming a closed-in annular space I1 within thelatter member, a spiralcomj pression spring l8 housed in said space acting against the flange IE to hold 'said flange against "An open-ended. elastic, tubular male sealing force the pipe enqmempe s toward each other in 1 an eiiicient manner. I

Amore specific objectis to provide, in a pipe end sealing assembly utilizable for gas, 'water, steamand air, cooperating internal and, external spring means to urge together more efflciently the sealing surfaces of the sealing meansprop'en,

Other objects; features ."and' advantages 'of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing which illustrates what is at presentdeemed' to.be a preferred-embodiment of the invention,

Fig. 1 is a view f thecomplete device showing it partly in side'elevation and partly 'in vertical midsection. v H v Figl2 isa cross'section on'line 2-2 of'Fig. l.

Fig, 3 is an elevation looking at the right hand I end of the device as shown in Fig. 1; c

Fig. 4 is an exploded, perspective view of the sealin members'a thrust washer being included intheview.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the union as a whole comprises pipe 'en'd members 5 and 8, intervening between whichis' the sealing assembly 1, said pipe members being drawn against the end portions of saidsealing assembly, by a clamping means 8. 1

The pipe end member 6 has aterminal head 9 formed by enlarging the diameter of-thepipe section I0 and thickening a portion of its wall at its end, said thickened wall portion terminating in a peripheral, internally screwthreaded flange I l. A

cup-shaped member I2 has a bottom [3 provided with a circular, axial opening H. The end of this member opposite to its bottom is externally screwthe .cup'bottom l3 when the parts are in an une sealed condition. A thrust washer 18a is interposed between the'flange l6 and spring I 8. The

flangedend portion of said female member I5 is tapered inwardly at It! in a frusto-oonical manner.

member 20 which is shown extending adiustably through the bottom opening M of the cup, has an externally tapered end portion which is wedgeable in a fluid tight manner intothe aforesaid frusto-conically tapered portion of the female member. Said male member hasat the end thereof opposite to its taper an externalperlphe eral flange 2|, .this'flanged part abutting against an annular shoulder 22 resulting from enlarging 1 the internal diameter of the head 2301' the pipe section 5. Outwardly around said shoulder 22 the head 23 vhas a peripheral flange 24 which is in.-. 'ternally screwthreaded to have screwed into ita clamping collar 25 tovurge the flange part 2| against the aforesaid annular shoulder 22. Said collar 25' is shown having diametrically opposite recesses 25a to receive a suitable tool for screwing it down. Said flange 24 carries a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart guide fingers 26, three of these fingers being shown, made integral with, the flange. Said fingers arearcuated in cross section to flt with working fits around the exterior of the cup-shaped member 12.

By preference and as indicated in thedrawings, theffer'nale' member l5 and'male member 20 are. both constructed of rubber, elastic material being desirable to form a more efficient fluid tight'seal.

' The internal diameters of the pip section 5 and the male member 20 are shown as being equal thus providing a smooth passage for liquid flow.

Describing in further detail the ,clamping means 8, this means consists of a resilient strap metal arm 28 having at one end a pivoted connection'29 with an outer side portionof thehead 23, the opposite end portion of said arm being deflected in a, generally rightangular direction and shaped as a yoke having a pair of arms 30 bowed toward the attached end of the yoke which straddle the pipe section land will press forcibly againstthe shoulder 3| formed by the outer side of the head 9. Each arm is shown curled toward the shoulder 3| and provided at its extremity with a. curl 32-for receiving a locking pin 33;.

In Fig. 1 the device is shown with the two pipe end members held by the resilient clamping means 8 forcibly against opposite end portions of the sealing assembly 1, so that the male mem-. ber is in an eflicient fluid-sealing relation to the interior frusto-conical surface of thefemale member I5, the compression spring lfloiiering a considerable resistance to the coupling-together movement to insure firm pressure between the contacting surfaces of the male and female members.

It will be seen that the resilient clamping means 8 cooperates with the spiral compression spring I 8 to l augment the compressive force between the sealing surfaces, as indicated at 35in Fig. 1, said spiralspring permitting sumcient longitudinal movement of the flange I6 to compensate for the compressive'movement resulting from putting the clamp into the position shown in Fig. 1.

The use of the locking pin 33 to keepthe yoke in the applied: position-is not vital to the successfuloperation of the device because the frictional manner in which the bowed resilient .voke arms engage the shoulder3l will-ordinarily safely keep the yoke in its clamped down position. However, the use of the locking pin is recommended where serious results might follow in accidental disconnection of the pipe end members, as for example in a gas supply conduit.

- It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall Within'the scope of the. subiect'matter claimed. v

1. -In a quick breaking union, for pipe ends; a pipeendmember having a terrmrral head formed by enlarging the diameter of the pipe and thickening abortion of its wall, said'thickened wall portion terminating at its outer end in a peripheral internally screwthreaded flange,- a, cupshaped member havinga bottom with a circular axial opening therethrough, the end portion of said member opposite to itsbottom being screwed into the threaded portion of said flange, an openended tubular female sealing member having one end slidably fitted within the thickened wall pertion of the aforesaid head and having an exterior flange around its opposite end which fits with an adjustive fit within said cup-shaped member, thereby forming aclosed-in annular space within the latter member, a spiral spring in said space acting against the last mentioned flange, said" female member having an outwardly increasing frusto-conical space within its flanged end portion, an open-ended tubular male sealing member which extends through the aforesaid bottom opening of saidcup and has an exteriorly tapered end portion swedged in a fluid-tight manner into said frusto-conicalportion of the female member, said male member having an external flange around its opposite end, a second pipe end member having a head formed by thickening one of its end portions and an annular shoulder within said head against which the flanged endportion of said male member abuts, a compression collar screwed into said head of said malemember and clamping said flangedportion'of said male member against the latter shoulder, clamping means operatively relatedto said pipe end heads to draw them toward each other under compression, and a plurality of circumferentially spaced apart guide fingers carried bythe second mentioned pipeend head and externally overlying the bottom portion of said cup-shaped member.

'2. In a quick breaking union for pipe ends, a

pipe endmember having a terminal head formed by enlarging the diameter'of the pipe and'thickening a portion of its wall, said'thickened wall portionterminating at its outer end'in a peripheral internally screwthreaded flange, a cupshaped member having abot axial opening therethrough,

the end portion of said member opposite to its bottombeingscrewed into the threaded portionlof saidflange, an-openended elastic tubular female sealing memberhaving one end slidably fitted within the thickened wall portion of the aforesaid head'and having an exterior vflange around its opposite end which fits-withan adjustivefitwithin said cup-shaped member, thereby forming a closed-in annular space within the latter member, aspen spring in saidspace acting against the last mentioned flange, said female member having'an outwardly increasing frusto-conical' space within its flanged end portion,an open-ended elastic-tubular male sealing member which extends adjustably through the 'aforesaidbottom openingof saidcup and has an exteriorly tapered end portion swedged in a fluid-tight manner int tion of the femalem member, the latter pi 40 abutting sealed relati member which is opp ing means operatively connected t 'said pipe end heads to draw them toward each other under compression."

ember, a second pipe end pe endmember being in an on: to that end 'ofsaid male osite to its taper, and clampsaid diametrical enlargement and force saidmembers toward each other placing saidsealing means under compression, and a pin insertable through the extremitiesof the resilient arms. of said yoke to keep the the applied position.-

FJOE PRATA.

'R EFERENCES CITED The following referen file of this patent:

cos are of record inthe UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,288,256 Steiger Dec. 17, 1918 1,926,949 Kennedye Sept. 12,-1938 tom with a circular 0 said frusto conical por- 3. In apipe connectiomtwo pipe end members yoke in place when it is in 

